Electrolyte injection device

Abstract

An electrolyte injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention can inject an electrolyte into a can having an open top and a beading portion formed to protrude inward along a periphery at a certain distance from the top end. The electrolyte injection device may include a nozzle configured to inject an electrolyte into the can; and a sealing member provided in the nozzle and in close contact with the beading portion when the nozzle injects the electrolyte into the can. The sealing member may be formed with a sealing groove having a concave shape in close contact with the beading portion.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] [CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0022575 filed on February 21, 2022 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0022925 filed on February 21, 2023, and all contents disclosed in the documents of said Korean patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to an electrolyte injection device for injecting an electrolyte into a can of a secondary battery. [Background technology]

[0003] Secondary batteries, which are widely used in various digital devices and transportation such as vehicles, are characterized by their ability to be repeatedly charged and discharged, and research and development is being continuously conducted to increase efficiency and improve safety.

[0004] Secondary batteries can be classified into various types according to the shape of the battery case or the material of the electrode assembly. Among them, cylindrical, square, and pouch types are the most widely manufactured according to the shape of the battery case.

[0005] Among them, the cylindrical secondary battery has a structure in which an electrode assembly 2 is installed inside a cylindrical can 1 that is open at the top and has a hollow inside, and a top cap part is attached to the top end of the can 1.

[0006] FIG. 1a is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional electrolyte injection device before and after it is coupled to the upper side of a can of a secondary battery, and FIG. 1b is an enlarged view of a circled portion in FIG. 1a.

[0007] As shown in FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, the can 1 is manufactured by inserting an electrode assembly 2 into the can 1 with the top open, and then injecting an electrolyte.

[0008] Meanwhile, the can 1 may be opened at the top and may have a beading portion 3 on which a top cap portion (not shown) may be placed. The beading portion 3 may protrude inward along the periphery of the can 1 at a certain distance from the top end of the can 1.

[0009] The electrolyte injection device includes a nozzle 5, which enters the upper end of the can 1 to inject the electrolyte.

[0010] At this time, a sealing member 6 is attached to the end of the nozzle 5 so as to maintain airtightness when the nozzle 5 abuts against the beading portion 3 of the can 1 and to prevent impact from being applied to the beading portion 3. The sealing member 6 may be an O-ring.

[0011] The sealing member 6 may be formed in a wedge shape in which the thickness gradually decreases at the portion in contact with the beading portion 3 (i.e., the lower end when coupled to the nozzle) and two inclined surfaces meet at the end.

[0012] Meanwhile, in the past, the angle b formed by the contact between the inclined surface of the sealing member 6 and the beading portion 3 was generally in the range of 30 to 50°. When the nozzle 5 descends, it descends so that a pressure that generates elastic compression within a predetermined range is applied to the sealing member 6 to maintain airtightness.

[0013] In this case, the area where the inclined surface of the sealing member 6 and the beading portion 3 are in close contact with each other is insufficient, and there is a concern that the sealing reliability may not be high.

[0014] In addition, the sealing member 6 is elastically deformed radially inward of the can 1 due to the reaction force applied by the beading portion 3. That is, the sealing member 6 is elastically deformed toward the opposite side of the beading portion 3, which causes a problem that the adhesive force of the sealing member 6 to the beading portion 3 is weakened. This causes a problem that the electrolyte adhering to the sealing member 6 remains on the surface of the beading portion 3. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0015] An object of the present invention is to provide an electrolyte injection device having a high sealing effect by increasing the contact area between a sealing member and a beading portion.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrolyte injection device having a high sealing effect by increasing the adhesion between a sealing member and a beading portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] An electrolyte injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention can inject an electrolyte into a can having an open top and a beading portion formed to protrude inward along a periphery at a certain distance from the top end. The electrolyte injection device may include a nozzle configured to inject an electrolyte into the can; and a sealing member provided in the nozzle and in close contact with the beading portion when the nozzle injects the electrolyte into the can. The sealing member may be formed with a sealing groove having a concave shape in close contact with the beading portion.

[0018] The sealing groove may be formed along the entire periphery of the sealing member.

[0019] The angle between the extension line of the sealing groove end and the upper surface of the beading portion may be in the range of 5° to 30°.

[0020] The angle between the extension of the outer end of the sealing groove and the upper surface of the beading portion may be in the range of 10° to 15°.

[0021] The surface of the sealing groove may be curved.

[0022] When the sealing groove and the beading portion are brought into contact with each other, the surface of the sealing groove formed into a curved surface may abut against the curved portion of the beading portion.

[0023] A deformation groove may be formed on an outer periphery of the sealing member, and the deformation groove may be positioned above the sealing groove and may be spaced a certain distance from the sealing groove.

[0024] The sealing member may have a wedge portion at a lower end thereof, the thickness of which gradually decreases toward the lower end thereof, and the sealing groove may be formed on an outer periphery of the wedge portion.

[0025] The inner periphery of the wedge portion may include an inclined flat surface.

[0026] An electrolyte injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention can inject an electrolyte into a can having an open top and a beading portion formed to protrude inward along a periphery at a certain distance from the top end. The electrolyte injection device can include a nozzle configured to inject an electrolyte into the can; and a sealing member provided in the nozzle and in close contact with the beading portion when the nozzle injects the electrolyte into the can. A deformation groove may be formed on an outer periphery of the sealing member, the deformation groove being located above the beading portion.

[0027] When the sealing member is in close contact with the beading portion, an inner portion of the deformation groove may be configured to bend outward.

[0028] The sealing member may have a sealing groove having a recessed shape in close contact with the beading portion, and the deformation groove may be spaced a predetermined distance from the sealing groove.

[0029] The deformation groove may be formed along the entire periphery of the sealing member, or a plurality of deformation grooves may be formed at predetermined intervals along the periphery of the sealing member.

[0030] The deformation groove may be formed in a plurality of grooves spaced apart from each other in an axial direction of the sealing member. Effect of the Invention

[0031] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a sealing groove is formed in the sealing member, so that the area of ​​contact between the sealing member and the beading portion can be increased, thereby allowing the sealing member to have a high sealing effect and preventing the electrolyte injected into the can from penetrating between the sealing member and the beading portion and remaining in the beading portion.

[0032] In addition, since the deformation groove is formed in the sealing member, the sealing member can be elastically deformed in a substantially opposite direction to the conventional sealing member that is elastically deformed inwardly of the radius of the can, thereby increasing the adhesive force between the sealing member and the beading portion, and the sealing member can have a high sealing effect.

[0033] In addition, the elastic deformation direction of the sealing member can minimize the generation of a gap between the sealing member and the beading portion, thereby preventing the electrolyte from remaining in the beading portion.

[0034] This makes it possible to prevent the electrolyte from being blown out as a gas during the activation step carried out after the electrolyte is injected, and to prevent damage and corrosion of the oxide film on the can surface due to evaporation of the electrolyte.

[0035] That is, when the electrolyte is exposed to the outside, it reacts with the atmosphere and generates hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, which can come into contact with an aluminum can and destroy the oxide film, which can then induce corrosion over time. However, the present invention can prevent such problems from occurring.

[0036] In addition, the angle between the extension line of the outer end of the sealing groove and the upper surface of the beading portion may be 5° to 30°, and preferably 10° to 15°, which suppresses excessive deformation of the sealing member and prevents the sealing member from coming off the beading portion even if deformation occurs in the sealing member.

[0037] In addition, configurations according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention can include effects that can be easily predicted by those skilled in the art. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1a] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views showing a conventional electrolyte injection device before and after it is coupled to the upper side of a secondary battery can. [Figure 1b] FIG. 1b is an enlarged view of the area circled in FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an electrolyte injection device coupled to an upper side of a can of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the sealing member shown in FIG. 2 when it comes into contact with a beading portion of a can. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0039] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in order to enable those skilled in the art to easily carry out their practice of the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0040] In order to clearly describe the present invention, parts that are not relevant to the description will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout the specification to refer to the same or similar components.

[0041] Furthermore, the terms and words used in this specification and the claims should not be interpreted in a limited manner to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted as having meanings and concepts that are consistent with the technical ideas of the present invention, in accordance with the principle that an inventor may appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe his or her invention.

[0042] The present invention relates to an electrolyte injection device for injecting electrolyte into a can 30 that is open at the top and has a beading portion 31 formed to protrude inward along the periphery at a certain distance from the top end. Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an electrolyte injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention attached to the upper side of a secondary battery can, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the sealing member shown in FIG. 2 when it comes into contact with a beading portion of the can.

[0044] An electrolyte injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a nozzle 20 configured to inject an electrolyte into a can 30 of a secondary battery, and a sealing member 10 provided on the nozzle 20. When the nozzle 20 injects the electrolyte into the can 30, the sealing member 10 may be in close contact with a beading portion 31 formed on the can 30.

[0045] The sealing member 10 may be, but is not limited to, an O-ring or a gasket.

[0046] 2, the sealing member 10 may be the lowest end of the electrolyte injection device, but is not limited thereto. For example, the sealing member 10 may be provided to coincide with the lower end of the nozzle 20.

[0047] The electrolyte injection device may include not only the nozzle 20 and the sealing member 10, but also various other known auxiliary devices such as a storage tank (not shown) in which the electrolyte is stored, and a pump (not shown) for supplying the electrolyte from the storage tank to the nozzle 20.

[0048] The can 30 is open at the top, and an electrolyte injection device can be inserted into the open top of the can 30. More specifically, the sealing member 10 can be inserted into the can 30 and brought into close contact with the beading portion 31, and the nozzle 20 can inject the electrolyte into the can 30.

[0049] The bottom of the can 30 may be closed. That is, the can 30 may have a hollow cylindrical structure with an open top, and may house the electrode assembly 40. The can 30 may have a beading portion 31 protruding inward so that a top cap portion (not shown) may be placed thereon later. The beading portion 31 may be formed to be spaced a predetermined distance from the top end of the can 30.

[0050] The beading portion 31 may be located above the electrode assembly 40, and the size and pattern of the protrusion may be determined according to the size of the electrode assembly 40 and the shape of the top cap portion.

[0051] That is, the beading portion 31 may refer to a portion of the can 30 that is formed in a direction in which the inner diameter is reduced in order to place the top cap portion. For reference, the can 30 is shown in the drawing with the top end standing vertically, but when the top cap portion is placed on the beading portion 31 together with a gasket (not shown) after the electrolyte is injected, the beading portion 31 is crimped to fix the top cap portion.

[0052] Since the upper end of the can 30 is in a vertical position before the top cap is placed, the electrolyte injection device can enter the open upper side of the can 30 .

[0053] The electrolyte injection device may inject a predetermined amount of electrolyte into the can 30 through an external storage tank and a pump while being inserted into the can 30. At this time, the depth to which the electrolyte injection device is inserted into the can 30 may be limited to a depth at which the sealing member 10 is in close contact with the beading portion 31.

[0054] The sealing member 10 prevents the end of the nozzle 20 from directly contacting the beading portion 31, which may cause impacts and scratches, and maintains airtightness between the can 30 and the electrolyte injection device.

[0055] Meanwhile, at least one of a sealing groove 11 and a deformation groove 12 described below may be formed in the sealing member 10. Figures 2 and 3 show an embodiment in which both the sealing groove 11 and the deformation groove 12 are formed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the sealing member 10 may also be formed with only one of the sealing groove 11 and the deformation groove 12.

[0056] A sealing groove 11 having a concave shape may be formed in the sealing member 10. The sealing groove 11 may be formed along the entire periphery of the sealing member 10. That is, the sealing groove 11 may be in a ring shape.

[0057] In order to increase the contact area when the sealing member 10 is in close contact with the beading portion 31, the surface of the sealing groove 11 may be curved. When the sealing groove 11 and the beading portion 31 are in contact with each other, the curved surface of the sealing groove 11 may abut against a curved portion of the beading portion 31. The curved portion of the beading portion 31 may be a curved portion 31b described below.

[0058] Since the sealing groove 11 is formed in the sealing member 10, the area of ​​close contact between the sealing member 10 and the beading portion 31 can be increased. As a result, the sealing member 10 can have a high sealing effect, and can prevent the electrolyte injected into the can 30 from leaking between the sealing member 10 and the beading portion 31 or from remaining in the beading portion 31.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 3, the beading portion 31 may include a first protruding portion 31a and a second protruding portion 31c protruding toward the inside of the can 30, and a curved portion 31b having a curved shape connecting the first protruding portion 31a and the second protruding portion 31c.

[0060] The first protruding portion 31a may be located above the second protruding portion 31c. The first protruding portion 31a may include an upper surface of the beading portion 31, and the second protruding portion 31c may include a lower surface of the beading portion 31. The curved portion 31b may include an innermost portion of the beading portion 31.

[0061] The boundary between the first protruding portion 31a and the curved portion 31b may be defined at a point where the curvature of the curved portion 31b begins, and the boundary between the second protruding portion 31c and the curved portion 31b may be defined at a point where the curvature of the curved portion 31b ends.

[0062] The first protruding portion 31a may be formed substantially horizontally. The second protruding portion 31b may be formed substantially inclined. The second protruding portion 31c may be connected to the "portion of the can 30 that stands vertically."

[0063] When the sealing groove 11 and the beading portion 31 contact each other, an angle (C) between an extension line of the outer end of the sealing groove 11 and the upper surface of the beading portion 31 may be 5° to 30°. The extension line may be an imaginary line. More specifically, the angle (C) between a tangent line to the boundary between the first protrusion 31a and the curved portion 31b and the extension line may be in the range of 5° to 30°. That is, the angle is set to be narrower than the range of 30° to 50° that is the angle (b: see FIG. 1b) formed between the conventional sealing member and the beading portion.

[0064] More specifically, the angle (C) between the extension of the outer end of the sealing groove 11 and the upper surface of the beading portion 31 is preferably formed in the range of 10° to 15°. Of course, this angle may be adjusted depending on the shape and size of the beading portion 31 and the material and shape of the sealing member 10. However, when adjusting the angle, it is preferable that the angle is adjusted so that the main direction in which the sealing member 10 elastically deforms is the vertical direction (up and down in the drawing) rather than the direction toward the inside of the beading portion 31.

[0065] The angle between the extension line of the outer end of the sealing groove 11 and the upper surface of the beading portion 31 may be 5° to 30°, and preferably 10° to 15°. This suppresses excessive deformation of the sealing member 10, and prevents the sealing member 10 from coming off the beading portion 31 even if deformation occurs in the sealing member 10.

[0066] Similar to the conventional sealing member shown in Figures 1a and 1b, the sealing member 10 provided in the present embodiment may also be formed in a wedge shape with a thickness gradually decreasing at the lower end. That is, a wedge portion 13 may be provided at the lower end of the sealing member 10.

[0067] The sealing groove 11 may be formed on the outer periphery of the wedge portion 13. The inner periphery of the wedge portion 13 may include an inclined flat surface 13a.

[0068] Meanwhile, a deformation groove 12 located above the beading portion 31 may be formed on the outer periphery of the sealing member 30b.

[0069] The deformation groove 12 may have a concave shape and may be spaced apart from the sealing groove 11 by a certain distance.

[0070] The deformation groove 12 may be formed along the entire circumference of the sealing member 10. That is, the sealing member 10 may be ring-shaped. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of deformation grooves 12 may be formed along the circumference of the sealing member 10 with a space therebetween. A plurality of deformation grooves 12 may be provided at predetermined intervals in the axial direction (i.e., vertical direction) of the sealing member 10. Of course, at least some of the plurality of deformation grooves 12 may have different sizes or shapes.

[0071] In the figures, the modified groove 12 is shown as having a rectangular cross section, but is not limited thereto.

[0072] When the electrolyte injection device is lowered to enter the can 30 and the sealing member 10 and the beading portion 31 are brought into close contact with each other, the sealing member 10 may be elastically deformed to reduce the entrance of the deformation groove 12. More specifically, when the sealing member 10 is brought into close contact with the beading portion 31, the inner portion of the deformation groove 12 may bend outward, and the sealing member 10 may be elastically deformed along the radially outer side of the can 30 or along an inclined direction between the radially outer side of the can 30 and the downward direction.

[0073] That is, while the conventional sealing member is elastically deformed inwardly of the radius of the can, the sealing member 10 may be elastically deformed in the substantially opposite direction, which increases the adhesive force between the sealing member 10 and the beading portion 31, and the sealing member 10 can have a high sealing effect.

[0074] In addition, due to the elastic deformation direction of the sealing member 10, the occurrence of a gap between the sealing member 10 and the beading portion 31 is minimized, and the electrolyte can be prevented from remaining in the beading portion 31.

[0075] This can prevent the electrolyte from being blown out as a gas during the activation process carried out after the electrolyte is injected, and can prevent damage and corrosion of the oxide film on the can surface due to evaporation of the electrolyte.

[0076] That is, when the electrolyte is exposed to the outside, it reacts with the atmosphere to generate hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, which may come into contact with the aluminum can 30 and destroy the oxide film, which may then induce corrosion. However, the present invention can solve this conventional problem.

[0077] In addition, since the direction in which the sealing member 10 elastically deforms is changed compared to the conventional structure, it is possible to eliminate problems caused by permanent deformation of the sealing member 10. More specifically, since the sealing member 10 elastically deforms in a direction substantially opposite to that of the conventional structure, the amount of elastic deformation of the sealing member 10 may be reduced by the reaction force acting from the beading portion 31, thereby reducing concerns about permanent deformation of the sealing member 10. In addition, even if some permanent deformation occurs in the sealing member 10, the sealing effect can be maintained high depending on the direction of the elastic deformation of the sealing member 10.

[0078] Although the present invention has been described above using limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various implementations are possible within the technical spirit of the present invention and the equivalent scope of the claims described below by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10 Sealing material 11 Sealing groove 12 Deformed groove 13 Wedge part 20 Nozzles 30 cans 31 Beading Section

Claims

1. An electrolyte injection device for injecting electrolyte into a can having an open top and a beading portion formed to protrude inward along a periphery at a certain distance from the top end, a nozzle configured to inject electrolyte into the can; and a sealing member provided in the nozzle and in close contact with the beading portion when the nozzle injects an electrolyte into the can; The sealing member includes: The electrolyte injection device further comprises a sealing groove having a recessed shape and being in close contact with the beading portion.

2. The electrolyte injection device of claim 1 , wherein the sealing groove is formed along the entire periphery of the sealing member.

3. 3. The electrolyte injection device according to claim 2, wherein an angle between an extension line of the end of the sealing groove and an upper surface of the beading portion is in the range of 5[deg.] to 30[deg.].

4. 4. The electrolyte injection device of claim 3, wherein an angle between an extension line of an outer end of the sealing groove and an upper surface of the beading portion is in the range of 10[deg.] to 15[deg.].

5. The electrolyte injection device according to claim 3 , wherein the sealing groove has a curved surface.

6. 6. The electrolyte injection device according to claim 5, wherein when the sealing groove and the beading portion are brought into contact with each other, a surface of the sealing groove formed into a curved surface abuts against a curved portion of the beading portion.

7. The sealing member has a deformation groove formed on its outer periphery, The electrolyte injection device according to claim 1 , wherein the deformation groove is located above the sealing groove and has a certain distance therebetween.

8. The sealing member has a wedge portion at a lower end thereof, the thickness of which gradually decreases toward the lower end. The electrolyte injection device according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing groove is formed on an outer periphery of the wedge portion.

9. The electrolyte injection device according to claim 8 , wherein an inner periphery of the wedge portion includes an inclined flat surface.

10. An electrolyte injection device for injecting electrolyte into a can having an open top and a beading portion formed to protrude inward along a periphery at a certain distance from the top end, a nozzle configured to inject electrolyte into the can; and a sealing member provided in the nozzle and in close contact with the beading portion when the nozzle injects an electrolyte into the can; The sealing member has an outer periphery formed with a deformed groove located above the beading portion.

11. The electrolyte injection device according to claim 10 , wherein an inner portion of the deformation groove is configured to bend outward when the sealing member is brought into close contact with the beading portion.

12. The sealing member has a sealing groove formed therein, the sealing groove being in close contact with the beading portion and having a recessed shape. The electrolyte injection device according to claim 10 , wherein the deformation groove is spaced apart from the sealing groove.

13. The deformation groove is formed along the entire periphery of the sealing member; 11. The electrolyte injection device according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of the sealing members are formed along a periphery of the sealing member at predetermined intervals.

14. The deformation groove is 14. The electrolyte injection device according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of the sealing members are formed at predetermined intervals from each other in the axial direction of the sealing member.

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